San Francisco is the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs and, after a first-round bye, handled Green Bay at home on Saturday, 45-31. That after leading just 24-21 at halftime. That gives the 49ers two straight wins which, oddly enough, matches their season high. They’ll need to break the trend of two wins and then a loss (or tie) Sunday to make it back to the Super Bowl.

How the Falcons got here

Atlanta is the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs and, after a first-round bye, beat Seattle on a late field goal 30-28 on Sunday. The Falcons won their first eight games to start the season and have won six of their past eight.

Early storyline for the 49ers

After throwing an early interception that was returned for a touchdown against Green Bay, Colin Kaepernick had a huge game with 263 passing yards. He also broke the NFL record for rushing yards in a game by a quarterback with 181. At this point, no one is questioning 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh’s decision to keep starting Kaepernick even after Alex Smith returned from injury. That doesn’t mean there’s no pressure on Kaepernick. San Francisco made it to the NFC Championship Game last year and won’t be satisfied with anything less than a Super Bowl appearance. If Kaepernick fails to lead the 49ers there on Sunday, Harbaugh’s decision will go back under the microscope.

Early storyline for the Falcons

It has been well documented that, despite great regular-season success, Falcons fifth-year quarterback Matt Ryan had yet to win a playoff game before Sunday. That prompted questions of whether the former first-round draft pick out of Boston College was clutch enough to lead his team to a Super Bowl. He had some big passes at the end of the Seattle win, but that will only temporarily calm his detractors. He can silence them permanently by beating the 49ers on Sunday.

Three 49ers players to watch

Frank Gore, RB — While Atlanta has a high-powered offense, its defense is very average. The 49ers can control the clock by owning the ground with Kaepernick and Gore. The running back had 1,214 rushing yards this season and added 119 more against Green Bay.

Aldon Smith, LB — The second-year player out of Missouri is in that other world category. He had 19.5 sacks in the regular season. He also had 66 tackles, including three forced fumbles and an interception. He is always a threat to get to the quarterback.

Patrick Willis, LB — While Smith mainly causes havoc in the opponent’s backfield, Willis does it all over the place. He, too, can get to the quarterback at times — he had a sack against Green Bay. But he is also good in pass coverage and gets all over the field to make tackles. He had 120 tackles in the regular season and seven against Green Bay.

Three Falcons to watch

Roddy White, WR — Fully recovered from a knee injury that slowed him down a little at the end of the regular season, White is the Falcons’ top receiver with 92 catches for 1,351 yards and seven touchdowns. He added five catches for 76 yards against Seattle.